Weds. 10:25 pm: Warren joins Mandel’s online checkbook program

WARREN – In a bid to provide greater transparency to the city’s budget, City Council unanimously voted to join Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel’s OhioCheckbook.com program that posts the financial records of the state, school boards and local government online for all to see.

Councilman John Brown, D-3rd Ward, has been leading an effort to push for the city to join the program. Brown previously spoke with former auditors David Griffing and Anthony Natale about it.

Griffing retired in 2015 without acting on the proposal. Natale, elected to Griffing’s seat last November, expressed interest in the program, but soon after he took office became involved in a court matter that led him to resign from office in June.

On Wednesday, with the city embroiled in a fight to get voters to approve a .05-percent income tax increase on the November ballot, council members expressed support of the program.